The subcortical role of language processing. High level linguistic features such as ambiguity-resolution and the human brain; an fMRI study
The subcortical role of language processing. High level linguistic features such as ambiguity-resolution and the human brain; an fMRI study
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.10.023
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发表时间：
2008-02-15
期刊：
影响因子：
5.7
通讯作者：
Huber, Walter
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ketteler, Daniel;Kastrau, Frank;Huber, Walter
本研究旨在利用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）技术研究歧义加工的神经功能表征。12名年龄在21岁至29岁之间的右撇子健康成年人（6名男性，6名女性）在4种不同条件下（显性与非显性;显性与分心物;非显性与分心物;分心物与分心物）进行了歧义解决任务。在减去相应的控制任务（分心物与分心物）后，我们发现显着的激活，特别是在丘脑和基底神经节的某些部分（尾状核，壳核）。我们的研究结果暗示了丘脑和其他基底神经节回路参与高级语言功能，并与这个极具争议的话题的理论考虑相匹配。当语言处理系统不能完全依赖自动机制，而必须同时招募受控过程时，皮层下神经回路可能会被激活。此外，我们发现广泛的激活在顶下小叶，前额叶回，前SMA和SMA和扣带皮层。这可能反映了一种策略性的语义搜索机制，这种机制可能可以用语言处理的联结主义模型来说明。根据这一点，我们假设丘脑和基底神经节在调节和监测释放预先制定的语言段的运动编程和语义验证的神经调节作用。根据我们的研究结果，有强有力的证据表明，特别是丘脑，尾状核，扣带皮层，顶下小叶和前额叶皮层是负责在人类大脑中的一个准确的歧义解决。(c)2007年爱思唯尔公司All rights reserved.
In the present study, we were interested in the neurofunctional representations of ambiguity processing by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twelve right-handed, healthy adults aged between 21 and 29 years (6 male, 6 female) underwent an ambiguity resolution task with 4 different conditions (dominant vs. nondominant; dominant vs. distractor; non-dominant vs. distractor; distractor vs. distractor). After subtraction of the corresponding control task (distractor vs. distractor) we found significant activation especially in the thalamus and some parts of the basal ganglia (caudate nucleus, putamen). Our findings implicate a participation of the thalamus and other basal ganglia circuits in high level linguistic functions and match with theoretical considerations on this highly controversial topic. Subcortical neural circuits probably become activated when the language processing system cannot rely entirely on automatic mechanisms but has to recruit controlled processes as well. Furthermore, we found broad activation in the inferior parietal lobule, the prefrontal gyros, pre-SMA and SMA and the cingulate cortex. This might reflect a strategic semantic search mechanism which probably can be illustrated with connectionist models of language processing. According to this, we hypothesize a neuroregulatory role for the thalamus and basal ganglia in regulating and monitoring the release of preformulated language segments for motor programming and semantic verification. According to our findings there is strong evidence, that especially the thalamus, the caudate nucleus, the cingulate cortex, the inferior parietal lobule and the prefrontal cortex are responsible for an accurate ambiguity resolution in the human brain. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.